Any time is a good time to assess how things are going, and the dawning of the New Year can add an extra little motivational kick. Thus, I’d recently suggested that now is a great time to take stock; to do an inventory, so to speak.
Let’s say you took that suggestion and ran with it. If so, then you have a written inventory of what’s in your life that’s valuable to you. Your list might include the people you know, where you live, what you are able to do, what you have, and perhaps even what your values are, such as what you know to be true. This is your inventory.
Choice Theory suggests that our actions can drive our thinking, and ultimately our actions can even direct our feelings. How is that helpful? It means that when we are feeling dissatisfied in some way, taking some kind of action can help.
I suspect that you have already experienced this yourself. For example, let’s say you received a piece of bad news. You’re now feeling down, so you take a walk. Or you play some music. Or you clean up the yard, play with the dog, or maybe even finish that unpleasant household chore you’ve been putting off. Somehow, you feel better.
Interestingly, this positive effect on our feelings can take hold, at least temporarily, even when the action we take isn’t directly related to the cause. That is, cleaning out the basement had nothing do with changing the bad news we’ve been given, and yet, somehow, it helped.
Now take another look at that personal inventory list that we made. Let’s evaluate it, similar to how we’d evaluate a business or household inventory. Look at what we have and ask, Is what I have what I actually need? Am I low on some items? Do I have too much of something else? Are there areas where I have exactly what I want?
What do you see? It may depend, to a degree, on how you look. That is, if you look at your inventory with an underlying question of, “Where am I lacking?” you’ll probably find something. I suspect that most of us would.
If you get stuck looking at all the items you don’t have, then I’ll encourage you to look with a different question in mind. Try this, “Where do I have an over-abundance of good stuff?” You may find that you do have areas of your inventory that fit that category!
Whether you decide that your inventory is in great shape, moderate shape, or “needs some work,” here’s an experiment you might like to try.
Choose one thing from your list where you have what you need, or even an overabundance of what you need. Then do something, even a very small thing, to express your gratitude for it. For example, perhaps you have the reassurance that comes with having a reliable friend. Call them; say thank you. Maybe you are grateful for a skill you have. Make something with it and give it to someone who’d appreciate it. Perhaps you’re grateful for where you live. Take a few minutes and do a task on it that you’ve been putting off.
Similarly, choose one thing from your list where you see that you have a lack. Think of a small task that you can do toward improving that situation. Then do it. This can be a very small thing, but choose something that leads you in the direction of addressing the missing piece.
I suggested this as an experiment. An experiment is not complete until you assess, “Did my action make a difference?”
